Which of the following has had a bigger impact on World History: trade, or religion?

The Questions Which of the following has had a bigger impact on World History: trade, or religion? Please explain your answer using specific details from at least three civilizations. Please choose two different empires that we have discussed thus far in class and compare how knowledge was produced, accumulated, and dispersed within that society. How are these two empires different and how are they similar? Do you see any long-range consequences associated with how these societies dealt with knowledge? Please choose two different empires that we have discussed thus far in class and compare each of those empire’s policy towards the “other” (people that are somehow different than the ruling elite, such as ethnic and religious minorities). Do you see any long-range consequences associated with how these societies dealt with diverse peoples?